Long-listed for the NBCC's John Leonard Prize A Seattle Times Best Book of the Year The gripping story of a dramatic eighteenth-century voyage of discovery from Naomi J. Williams In 1785, the Lapérouse expedition left Brest with two frigates, more than two hundred men, and overblown ideals and expectations, in a brave attempt to circumnavigate the globe for science and the glory of France. This astonishingly inventive novel charts the course of their adventure. Deeply grounded in historical fact but refracted through a powerful imagination, Naomi J. Williams's Landfalls follows the exploits and heartbreaks not only of the men on the ships but also of the people affected by the voyage―natives and other Europeans the explorers encountered, loved ones left waiting at home, and those who survived and remembered the expedition later. By turns comic, elegiac, and profound, Landfalls is an absorbing tale of the high seas and the world on the cusp of a new era. A Seattle Times Best Book of 2015 “Williams’s writing is luminous, lit with tenderness, wisdom and a sly humour that glints between the words, even at their darkest. No quantity of painstakingly assembled facts could rival the intensity of her richly imagined reality then, the astonishing vividness and immediacy with which she conjures up the long-forgotten past.” ―Clare Clark, The Guardian “The best kind of historical fiction . . . should involve intelligence, experimentation, boldness, and curiosity. These traits are all in evidence in Naomi J. Williams's ambitious and meticulous debut . . . Both distinctive and rigorous, Landfalls confirms that history and literature share a fundamental exploratory impulse.” ―Katy Simpson Smith, The New York Times Book Review “Through shifting perspectives and voices, this suspenseful debut novel tracks the route of the doomed Lapérouse expedition . . . The drama in Landfalls is unrelenting: There's petty infighting, rampant egotism, insufferable personalities, drunkenness, heartbreak and rivalries - sort of a maritime version of 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.' Readers may be surprised to find dashes of comedy throughout, but Ms. Williams is adept at mining the humor in awkward encounters, revealing the divide between how certain characters perceive themselves and how others view them, and exposing the often duplicitous motives behind noble gestures.” ―Carmela Ciuraru, The New York Times “Thrilling . . . Landfalls is intelligent and utterly human. Ms. Williams has written a seductive page-turner that, although we know the story ends tragically, draws the reader in and doesn't let go.” ―Andrea Wulf, The Wall Street Journal “Extraordinary . . . With keen sensual flair and understated poignancy, especially as she limns the friendships of men at sea, Williams has delivered a bona fide masterpiece.” ―Michael Upchurch, The Seattle Times “Audacious . . . Immersive . . . A marvel of inventive storytelling.” ―Jane Ciabattari, BBC “A beautiful tale of adventure, anchored in tragedy.” ―Nicole Jones, Vanity Fair “Literary art of the first order, intelligent and evocative in the way of the best of historical fiction.” ― Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “As a nautical novel, it's fantastic; as a novel of cultural exchange and misunderstanding, it's even better.” ―Kel Munger, Sacramento News & Review “Williams' status as an acclaimed short story writer is evident in her craftsmanship of each perfectly encapsulated chapter, each recounted from a different viewpoint or viewpoints . . . [ Landfalls ] is alternately charming, invigorating, and heartbreaking, and always thoughtful and humane. Even readers who don't seek out nautical adventures will find themselves drawn in, especially if they love high-quality literary fiction.” ―Sarah Johnson, Booklist “Williams's research is thorough and meticulous . . . Williams does a masterly job with her descriptions of the officers, sailors, scientists, and people they meet, explaining a colorful, vibrant bit of maritime history in the age of discovery.” ― Publishers Weekly “By focusing on the penumbra of this legendary voyage, a disastrous, 18th-century quest for geographic knowledge, Naomi J. Williams brilliantly illuminates the enduring story of L'Expedition de Laperousé. The novel is a deft and stunning evocation of human aspiration at the dawn of the Industrial Age.” ― Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams, winner of the National Book Award “Here is an historical novel so thrilling in the reading, so richly colored and true to life that, reaching the end, I found myself going back to begin it again. I don't ask for more from a book.” ― Lynn Freed, author of The Servants' Quarters “This is a daring novel deftly written. In Landfalls, Naomi J. Williams conjures entire worlds, both external and internal, with remarkable dexterity, leaping nimbly from setting to setting and heart to heart, assembling a book every bit as moving and wo